Stress Linearization in Patran

Prepared For:

Ken Walker
The MacNeal-Schwendler Corp.

Prepared By:

Charles R. McCreary
CRM Engineering Services
13774 Highway 322
Kilgore, TX 75662

June 1, 1998

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Stress Analysis Structural Design Heat Transfer Software Development

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Introduction
The evaluation of ASME BPV Code primary-plus-secondary (P+Q) stress limits
requires the calculation of membrane and bending stresses. Linearized stresses
reduce a complex stress state into the equivalent membrane stress which represents
a force divided by the area on which it acts and a bending stress which represents a
moment acting on a unit strip of material.
The Patran PCL program documented in this report permits the generation of membrane and bending stresses from within Patran. The stress results from which the
linearized stresses are derived are independent of the source of the results as long as
the results are loaded in the Patran database. The stress classification line is independent of the mesh, i.e. the stress classification line is not required to be along element faces. This capability permits the linearization of stresses from arbitrary
locations without regard to the mesh details.

Algorithm
Stresses are linearized along a section in an axisymmetric model and along a line
through a section in a three-dimensional mesh. This origin of the section is the midpoint of the stress classification line as shown in Figure 1. Thus the section coordit
t
nates are from --- X s --- . The axial or yy in the section coordinate system along
2
2
the associated linearized stresses are shown in Figure 2. There are two types of
stress linearization offered, cartesian and axisymmetric. The cartesian case is applicable to arbitrary three-dimensional finite element models. The axisymmetric case is
applicable to axisymmetric finite element models in which the xz and yz components
of stress are zero and in which certain assumptions are made about the stress distribution.

Cartesian Case
Membrane Stress
The membrane stress for each stress component is computed from
t2
m

ij

1
= --t

dx
ij

(EQ 1)

t 2

where
m

ij

= membrane stress for component ij .

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Ys
Xs

FIGURE 1. Section coordinates.

= thickness of section

xs

= coordinate along section.

The integral is evaluated using the extended trapezoidal rule

m
ij

N1

1 1
1
N
1
k
= --- h --- ij(x s ) + ij(x s ) + --- ij(x s )

t 2
2

k=2

(EQ 2)

where
ij(x sk)

= ij at point k along section.

= the equal interval size determined by dividing the thickness, t , by the

number of integration points (input to function).

= the number of intervals which is equal to the number of integration

points - 1.

Bending Stress
The bending stress is calculated from

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LEGEND
FEA Element stress distribution for component YY
Membrane stress for component YY
Shifted bending stress for component YY

16000.

12000.

8000.

4000.

0.

-4000.

-8000.
0.

.200

.400

.600

.800

1.00

1.20

FIGURE 2. Axial stress and linearized components.

t2
b

ij

Point A

6
= --t

x dx
ij s

(EQ 3)

t 2

The bending stress at the other end of the section is defined as

b

ij

Point B

= ij

(EQ 4)

Point A

Axisymmetric Case
The algorithm for the axisymmetric case assumes that the y-axis is the centerline of
the model and the x-coordinate is the radial coordinate. In an axisymmetric strucStress-Linearization

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ture, there is more stresses material at a large radius than at a shorter radius. Consequently the neutral axis for local bending is shifted outward. This effect is more
R
pronounced for thick shells, --- 10 . An axisymmetric structure can have two radii of
t
curvature, the radius in the x-z ( r ) plane and the radius of curvature of the neutral surface in the x-y ( r z ) plane.
The stress tensor extracted along the section is first transformed so that the local
x (r) direction is oriented along the section. The geometry of the axisymmetric case is
shown in Figure 3.

Phi

Neutral surface

xf

x_f

Rho

R
R_A
A
R_C
R
C
R_B
RB

FIGURE 3. Axisymmetric geometry.

Axial Stress
The force over a small sector is defined as

Fy =

Stress-Linearization

t
--2
t
--2

yy R dx s

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(EQ 5)

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where
Fy

= total force over small sector

yy

= stress in yy direction (meriodional)

= radius

= small angle in hoop direction

= thickness of section.

The area over which the force acts is given by

A y = R C t

(EQ 6)

where
RC

RA + RB
= ------------------2

RA

= Radius to point A

RB

= Radius to point B

The average membrane stress is then

m
yy

t2

yy R dx s
Fy
t 2
= ----- = -------------------------------Ay
Rc t

(EQ 7)

The neutral axis is shifted by an amount x f which is given by

2

t cos
x f = ---------------12R c

(EQ 8)

The bending moment is given by

M =

t2

( x xf ) dF =
t 2

t2

( x x f ) yy R dx s

(EQ 9)

t 2

The bending stress is given by

b
Mc
yy = -------I

(EQ 10)

where

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= the distance from the neutral axis, x f , to the outside or inside surface

= the moment of inertia

1
3
= ------ Rc t Rc tx f2
12

The bending stress is thus

b
yy

Point A

xA xf
= -----------------------------2
2
t

R c t ------ x f
12

t2

( x x f ) yy R dx s

(EQ 11)

( x x f ) yy R dx s

(EQ 12)

t 2

and
b
yy
Point B

xB xf
= -----------------------------2
t
2
R c t ------ x f
12

t2
t 2

Radial Stress
The radial stress should equal the applied pressures, if any, at the free surface. In
reality, the mesh density is often not fine enough to capture the applied pressure.
The membrane stress is given by
m
rr

t2

rr dx s

(EQ 13)

t 2

The bending stress is defined as

b

rr

Point A

= rr

Point A

rr

(EQ 14)

and
b

rr

Point B

= rr

Point B

rr

(EQ 15)

Hoop Stress
The membrane hoop stress is equal to

m
zz

Stress-Linearization

t2

zz ( + x ) dx s
Fz
1
t 2
= ----- = --------------------------------------------- = --t
Az
t

t2
t 2

x
zz 1 + --- dx s

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(EQ 16)

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when = such as for a cylinder, cone, or flat plate (any straight section), the
membrane stress reduces to
m
zz

1
= --t

t2

zz dx s

(EQ 17)

x
( x x z ) yy 1 + --- dx s

(EQ 18)

x
( x x z ) yy 1 + --- dx s

(EQ 19)

t 2

The bending stress is calculated from

xA xz
= -----------------------2
2
t
t ------ x z
12

b
zz
Point A

t2
t 2

and
b
zz
Point B

xB xz
= -----------------------2
t
2
t ------ x z
12

t2
t 2

Shear Stress
The rz membrane shear stress is calculated from
m
rz

1
= ------Rc t

t2

rz R dx s

(EQ 20)

t 2

The shear stress is assumed to be parabolic through the section with

rz

Point A

= rz

Point B

= 0

(EQ 21)

thus
b

rz = 0

(EQ 22)

Special Case for = 90

When = 90 ( R = 0 ) at the centerline, R c = 0 and cos = 0 . This occurs for vertical stress classification lines on the centerline of structures such as spherical and
elliptical pressure heads and flat plates.
Since R = R c in this case, Eq. 7 becomes

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m
yy

t2

yy dx s
Fy
t 2
= ----- = ----------------------------- ,
Ay
t

(EQ 23)

Eq. 11 becomes
b
yy
Point A

xA xf
= -----------------------2
t
2
t ------ x f
12

t2

( x x f ) yy dx s ,

(EQ 24)

( x xf ) yy dx s ,

(EQ 25)

t 2

Eq. 12 becomes
b
yy

Point B

xB xf
= -----------------------2
2
t
t ------ x f
12

t2
t 2

RC

Since cos ------ as --- , x f becomes

2
2

t
t cos
- if R c ----------- --------------12R c
1000
xf =
2
t
t
-------12- if R c < ----------1000

(EQ 26)

Eq. 26 only applies if the structure forms a perpendicular intersection with the centerline. For other intersections, the stress classification line should be placed a small
distance away from the centerline.

Usage
The stress linearization tool appears as shown in Figure 4. The results selection
form is shown in Figure 5. When the results selection form is entered, if only one
load case and sub-case exist in the database, they will be pre-selected. Only tensor
results will be shown in the results list box. Thus the stress tensor must be available
in the database.
It is important to note that it is possible to have shell element results along with the
continuum element results. In an axisymmetric model, axisymmetric shell elements
may be on the boundary of the continuum elements to extract accurate surface
stresses. In such a case, the shell elements have results at section points (top and/or
bottom of the shell element). Since the continuum element results are unlayered, the
stress classification line will extract results from the continuum elements and the
shell elements but the shell elements only have results at a section point. Thus the

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-1.0
Linearized Stresses

Selecting this button will allow

you to select the results.
Results must be selected as
there is not a default.

Along an Arbitrary Curve

Select Results...

Axisymmetric is the default,

Non-axisymmetric represents
the Cartesian case.

Default-Step1,TotalTime=0.
Stress-Components
Axisymmetric
Non-Axisymmetric
No. of Integration Points
50

The number of integration

points through the section for
use with the extended trapezoidal numerical integration. The
default of 50 should provide
adequate accuracy.
Select the stress classification
line. This must be a line, not a
surface edge. Only one line
should be selected at a time.

Curve Ids
Curve 3

Curved section

The default is Straight section

(cylinder). Selecting curved indicates that the radius of curvature of the neutral surface will
be given.

Radius
-1.0

Apply
Post Results...
Cancel

Selecting the apply button will

perform the calculations. If successful, the Post Results button
will be enabled so that the linearized stress components can
be viewed, saved to a file, or
plotted along with the FEA
stress distribution.

FIGURE 4. Patran form.

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Select Results
Loadcases
1-Default

Subcases
1-Step1,TotalTime=0.

Results
1.1-Stress, Components

Layers
1-(NON-LAYERED)

Ok

Cancel

FIGURE 5. Results selection form.

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stresses along the stress classification line will have a discontinuity where it crosses
the shell elements.
The solution is to place the continuum elements in a group containing only continuum elements and make that group the current group since the results are extracted
only from the elements in the current group.
Selecting Post Results after selecting Apply will produce a spreadsheet containing
the linearized stress components as shown in Figure 6. The linearized stress can be
written to a file by selecting the Output Report button. The stress distribution along
with the membrane stress and the shifted bending stress can be plotted by selecting
Create XY plots button. The xy plots can be manipulated from within the XY plot
area of Patran. The plots appear as in Figure 2.

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FIGURE 6. Results display form.

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13